Ezekiel
in Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary
Pages
565 pages
Publisher
Smyth & Helwys
Published
12/1/2005
ISBN-13
9781573120739
The book of Ezekiel reflects a degree of liteary coherence unmatched in the canon of biblical prophets. Organized around three major visions of God, the book tells the story of God's final attempt as their only legitimate king to claim the loyalty of his subjects, the rebellious and recalcitrant house of Israel. The prophet Ezekiel plays a key role in this campaign.
In both vision and symbolic act, Ezekiel is so closely identified with divine judgment that his life becomes a mirror of the judgment itself. His first vision gives him a glimpse of the cosmos under the rule of God and inaugurates him into his role as a prophet, a visible sign of the power of God. As the book unfolds, the prophet will see visions, the people will see the prophet, and both spectacles will demonstrate without a doubt that Yahweh is the God of Israel.
Collections
This book appears in the following featured collections.
- Ultimate Commentary Collection: OT Technical by John Glynn
- Commentaries by Female Scholars by John Dyer
Reviews
Princeton Theological Seminary
January 5, 2018
January 5, 2018
Very user friendly format, with attention to
some of the history of interpretation.
Tyler Tankersley
July 30, 2011
July 30, 2011
Ezekiel is a "trip" is more ways than one, and Odell is a fantastic tour guide through this often vexing prophetic text.
Of particular interest is her theory that the acts performed by Ezekiel in the initial chapters are not public displays of prophecy, but rather are acts that are designed to prepare Ezekiel for a career as a prophet rather than his original plan of becoming a priest.
Odell also includes many of the most important artistic depictions of the acts and narratives of Ezekiel.
Review of Biblical Literature (RBL) (Johan Lust)
February 1, 2007
February 1, 2007
The primary goal of the Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary is to make available serious biblical scholarship in an accessible and less-intimidating format. In the Old Testament section eight volumes are now available: Leviticus and Numbers, Deuteronomy, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Job, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. M. Odell is no newcomer in the field of Ezekiel studies. She edited (with J. T. Strong) a series of papers on The Book of Ezekiel: Theological and Anthropological Perspectives (SBLSymS 9; Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2000), a volume that represents the first two years of work in the SBL Ezekiel Seminar. Her own contribution in that volume was entitled “Genre and Persona in Ezekiel 24:15–24.” She has also written several essays on Ezekiel in scholarly periodicals. Following the guidelines of the series, the Ezekiel volume opens with a brief introduction providing background information necessary for reading and interpreting the text (1–12). It includes an exposition of its literary structure, a description of its cultural and historical context, and a synthesis of its theological significance. Each chapter of the commentary proper (12–540) explores a textual unit and comprises two basic sections: (1) the analysis of the passage, and (2) suggestions concerning suitable themes for preaching. The primary goal of the commentary is to explore the theological issues in the passage.
[Full Review]